


we know

by SoloChaos



Series: go go go (one of us) [19]
Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: M/M, Meet the Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 15:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2156253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoloChaos/pseuds/SoloChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part XIX</p>
            </blockquote>





	we know

Josh shifts where he's standing nervously, hesitating for a few moments before leaning in and ringing the doorbell. 

He hears some footsteps, and then some boy is opening the door.

"Can I help you?" the boy asks cautiously.  

Josh stares at him. "Are you my brother?" he blurts out. 

_"What?"_ the boy demands. 

"Jordan, Mom says we have to..." An older looking girl appears next to the boy, staring straight at Josh. "Oh my gosh." 

"Who is that?" Jordan asks. 

"Josh," Ashley says softly, pushing Jordan aside and stepping out to Josh. 

_"Josh?_ Are you _crazy?"_ Jordan demands. 

"Hi," Josh says awkwardly. 

Ashley makes a little _eep_ noise before launching herself at Josh.  

"I _knew_ you weren't dead," she murmurs. "I knew it."  

"Yup," Josh says, awkwardly patting his sister's back. "Not dead." Ashley makes a noise that sounds like a mixture between a laugh and a sob. 

"I knew it," she repeats. 

Jordan's standing there, gaping.  "...you have to leave," he says finally.  

"What?" Josh and Ashley say in unison. 

"Ash, Josh is _dead,"_ Jordan hisses. "This guy could be after our money or something or-" 

"I'm right here," Josh comments mildly.  

"You're just going to upset Mom and Dad if you mention him," Jordan tells his sister, ignoring him. "And not today, Ash. _Especially_ not today."  

"Fine," Ashley says, reaching inside to grab a pair of shoes. "I'll go with Josh, then." 

"What?" Jordan says, looking astonished. "Ashley, you don't know that guy. And Mom and Dad _need_ us-" 

"Can it, Jordan," Ashley says, slipping on her shoes. "They can deal. They've had long enough to practice." 

Jordan's staring at her, jaw-dropped.  

"You- you-" he stammers. "What's happening to you?"  

"Nothing," Ashley says, taking Josh's arm. "I'm gonna spend the rest of the day with my brother, 'kay? Ciao." 

"Ash-"

But Ashley's already pulling Josh off.  

"You seem very certain of yourself," Josh tells her.  

"You're my brother," she says confidently. She pauses, looking at him for a moment. "Your eyes are a little weird, though."

"Thanks," Josh says as he steers her in the direction of his car.  

"Not _bad_ weird," Ashley says. "Just... fake looking."  

Josh stares at her. How did she...? 

"You're very observant," he says finally.  

"I know," Ashley replies, and Josh has to smile at that.  

"My car's right there," he says, pointing.  

Ashley squints. "Who's the dude?" 

"That's Tyler," Josh says, scratching the back of his next nervously. "My, uh. Boyfriend."  

Ashley looks at him, seems to see something in him, and nods.  

"Cool," she says. "I have a boyfriend too." 

Josh smiles at her.  

"Is that your sister?" Tyler says, looking up when Josh opens the door.

"Yup," Josh says. "This is Ashley." She waves.  

"Hi," she says.  

"Hi," Tyler replies, waving back. 

"Do you want to get something to eat with us?" Josh offers. "We can, um. Talk. About things. Because I'm sure you're curious." 

Ashley nods. "Sounds good," she says. "Where to?"

"Do you like sushi?" Josh asks, and Tyler groans as she nods. 

"What, do you not like sushi?" she asks.

"Well, yes," Tyler says. "Or, I did. Until I started dating this guy," he points at Josh, "and we started eating fish at every meal."

Ashley raises an eyebrow at her brother. 

"I like fish," Josh says lamely. 

"We don't have to get sushi," Ashley says, looking at Tyler.  

"Too late," Josh says as he climbs into the driver's seat. "No take-backs." 

Tyler grumbles good naturedly the whole way to the Japanese restaurant. 

"All right," Josh says once they're all seated in the restaurant. "What do you want to know?" 

"Um," Ashley says. "I- I don't know." 

"Come on," Josh says. "Don't you want to know where I've been, with who, and what I've been doing?"

"Well, yes," Ashley says, running a hand through her hair. "I just don't know what to ask." 

Josh shrugs. "Ask anything you'd like."

"Okay," Ashley says, tapping her chin. "How'd you two meet?"

Josh stares at her. _"That's_ what you want to know?"  

Ashley shrugs. "I thought maybe the heavier stuff could be saved for a, you know," she gestures around, "more private place." She looks him in the eye, studying. "I'm assuming there's heavier stuff." 

Josh smiles nervously. "Yeah. Yeah, there's heavier stuff." 

Ashley gives him a sympathetic smile. "Okay, cute stuff," she says, clapping her hands together. "How'd you two meet?"

"Um, at the Guitar Center," Josh says, looking at Tyler, who smiles back.

"And you two just started talking?" Ashley asks. "Come on, I want all the dirty little details," she says, grinning.  

"Um, well," Josh says, feeling a blush light up his cheeks, "I, um. I-" He looks at Tyler. "You tell her." 

"He bit me," Tyler says, and Ashley blinks.  

_"Bit_ you?" she repeats.  

Tyler grins at her. "Yup. Bit my arm right here." He taps a spot on his right arm.

"...oh," Ashley says, giving Josh an odd look.  

Josh covers his face with his hands. "It's a long story," he mumbles into them.  

Ashley nods. "So, how long have you two been dating?" 

The lunch goes well, ignoring Tyler's "You can't have sashimi for your _entire_ meal! It's just a couple slices of raw fish! You'll need a couple thousand orders to fill you!" and Josh's "I do what I like! I'm paying, anyways!" Ashley just laughs at them, and Josh thinks that maybe he should introduce her to Debby. He thinks they'd hit it off. 

"So, um," Ashley asks as he drives her back to her house, "is it all right if we start talking about the heavier stuff?" 

Josh nods. "Sure. Shoot." 

"So, um," she says, tapping her fingers against her leg, "were you kidnapped?" Josh nods. "How did you escape?" 

"I didn't," he says. "I was found."

"And no one told Mom and Dad?" Ashley asks.  

Josh bites his lip. "It's complicated." 

Ashley nods. "Is the, um, turtleneck a fashion statement, or...?"

"Scars," Josh says softly. 

"Oh," Ashley says, looking sad.  

Josh shrugs, purposefully not looking back to see Tyler. "I've gotten used to them," he says easily.  

"Are you gonna meet Mom and Dad?" she asks.  

"I'd like to," Josh says, looking at her and nodding. "Yeah, I- I'd really like to."  

Ashley smiles. "I'd think they'd like to meet you too." 

"I'll wait here," Tyler says when Josh pulls into the driveway.

"Are you sure?" Ashley asks. 

"It's all right with me," Josh tells him, but Tyler shakes his head.  

"No, no, I'm fine," he says, flashing Josh a quick smile. "Good luck, J."

"Is he shy?" Ashley asks as they walk towards the door.  

Josh shrugs. "Not really. He's been a little... off, lately." Ashley nods, giving him a look of sympathy as she unlocks the door.  

"Ash," a red haired girl says, running up. "Mom and Dad were worried, where were you?" She pauses, looking at Josh. "And who's this?"

"Abbie, this is, um." Ashley looks at Josh. "This is our brother. Josh."

Abbie stares at her. "No," she says slowly. "Josh is dead. Mom and Dad buried him." 

"No," Ashley says, mimicking her. "They didn't bury _him._ They buried an empty coffin."

"Ash..." Abbie presses her palms to her eyes. "This isn't one of your theories, or whatever, about Josh, is it? Because you _know_ they only upset our parents more." 

"No! Abbie, _look_ at him. He's our brother, can't you tell?" Ashley insists. 

"Ashley, come on," Abbie says. "Josh just happens to show up on the day his funeral was held years ago? Seriously?" 

Josh blinks. 

"Wait," he says, and both his sisters look up at him. "Today's the anniversary of my funeral?" 

They nod. 

"Oh, that's..." He thinks about this, wonders if Patrick knew. "...weird."

"Exactly," Abbie says. "It's too much of a coincidence, Ashley."

"Look at him!" Ashley shouts. "Can't you see? He looks like Dad!" 

Abbie studies Josh. "Well, I mean..."

"Those pictures, the ones Jordan and I found in the attic?" Ashley says. "Of Josh? How could you _say_ they don't look like him?"  

"They're just pictures, Ash..."

"Ashley? Abbie?" Josh looks up to see a middle-aged woman walk in, followed quickly by Jordan.  

"Mom, don't go-" Jordan pauses and sighs when he sees that she's already noticed Josh.  

"So, Mom," Ashley begins in a falsely bright tone, but stops when her mom holds a hand up. 

"That's Josh, isn't it?" she says weakly. "That's my son." 

Josh waves. "Hi, Mom." 

She stares at him. 

"You've got some explaining to do," she says finally. 

**Author's Note:**

> *yawns*
> 
> I hate responsibility.
> 
> That's not entirely relevant, but it's true.
> 
>  
> 
> Y'all might be tired of hearing me say this, but the tumblr is [here](http://www.solo-chaos.tumblr.com). Say hello. I know you're there. Prove it.


End file.
